Gauge



ffl/trom M E. H. FORS GAUGE Filed April 1, 1943 EH10 HQ FOR@ l QM f Jan. 2, 1945.

Patented Jan. 2,` 1945 l l GAUGE Eric H. Fors, Worcester, Mass., assignorto Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass.,

a. corporation :of Massachusetts s Application April 1, 1943, serian No. 481,454

I Claims; (01.33-182) This invention relates togauges, and more particularly to a device for use in obtaining correct alignment of rolling mill rolls with the guides.

In `the productionof rolled metal` products, such as bars, rods, strip, etc., it is the common practice to employa pair of horizontal rolls, together with suitable guides to conne` the stock in a denite horizontal path as it approaches and I leaves the rolls,` `It is of great importance that the rolls be positioned at `exactly `the right height to bring the roll pass into accurate alignmenttvith the guides, for otherwise there will be an excessive pressure `.between the stock andthe guides, the stock will be scratched, the guides will wear rapidly, and the danger of .cobbles will be greatly increased. e Heretofore rolling mill operators have had to'peer through the `guides in' a crude attIIllJt` to` ascertain whether or not the rolls were at the correct height, and the results have been unsatisfactory unless the `operati-)rswere highlyskilled.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a comparatively `simple and inexpensive s gauge which will enable @rolling:milloperator .t0 obtain correct alignment of themill rolls with the guides. s

It is a further .object of the invention to provide l gbe apparent ,to those .skilled in `the art,. theinven- `tionresides inthe combination of parts set forth yin the specicati0l1`-and, covered `.by the Claims `appended hereto.

e Referring to the drawing illustratingone em.-

bodiment of .the illyention and in which like rei,-

erence numerals indicate likeparts", e l Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view `through arolling mill witha gauge in use thereon,` thesec- 1 .tion being tekenen .thelne |-.I eiEie. 2;

garoll alignment gaugewbich can be utilized by :I Fig. 21s ajfragnentaify elevation af-theme11; l Vl=ig.3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3;of

rig. 2, with the mns height; l

.1 .Fia 4 @section en the line definitie. 3;

.Fia .5f is a top plan viewer the gauge: :and

positioned at the correct Fig.- 6f iS @View Simi-lar t9 Fig' ,3 `but Wthfthe rolls `positioned ,-.too `high for correct alignment.

The embodiment `illustratedcomprises a pair of` spaced uprighthousings I0, and two superimposed `horizontal cylindrical `rolls `Illini equal .di-

ametera thesepartsbelngof thefordi-nary vc'onfrstructionemployed ein ythe rollingof metal. Any :suitable means mayxbe provided for driving `:the s cordance *with the usual practice.: When metal` bars are to be produced,the ,rollswll belprovided with circumferential grooves I2 of the required shape.l A horizontal rest bar I4 extends between .the housings `IIJ to provide a support for two `guide boxes h5 of Aany suitableconstruction. As illustrated,` each of these boxes isshapedto prof vide a horizontal .groove .0 1 channel I B of rectangular .cross-sectionextending in .the direction of l stocktravel ,at right angles :withtherolls It will be understood that each guide box I5 is adapted to receivea-guide through which the stock :will travel, many types of :such `guides being known. For ,an ,example of one ,desirable construction, reference maybe ,had :to thevplllt to OMalley No. 2,264,218,11granted November 25, `1941.

It will gbe apparent that thegguides may be accurately constructed so that they will support the :stock traveling `therethrough Aat a predetermined height above the bottom surfaces ofthe channels I6 of the `guide boxes. Consequently, if the rolls II can betadjusted lto bring* their pass line (the Lline of` travel of `the :center line of the stock between them) atlthe correct height above these` .bottom surfaces, the guides ywill be accurately .alignedwiththe rolls when the guides are mounted in the.I guide boxes.` In accordance with the present invention `this 4adjustment of the ,rolls is facilitated by means of, an e accurately l constructed gauge adapted to be .inserted `inV the guide box `and to indicate the position of the rolls relative thereto. I l

I In its preferred Aform the yinvention comprises an elongated lower block I8 and an elongated maintained at right angnsrwitnthetrolls. Preferably the adjacentsurfacesofzthe `two blocks `are shaped :to provide a tonguefandgrcove joint Y e .2.0 I (Eig. 4 to aid in keeping them in proper alignment. ,'Ifo preventgseparation of .the bl0CkS, the

upper `block i9 is provided with two slots 22 through which vertical screws `;f23extencl intothe t 4lowerl block I `8.thereloeneath. I

.Theblocks .Itand Italie s0 Constr-ucted and `arranged thatthe-r inner end portions .projectA `from the guidejbox and into :the V-shaped openging `formed-by the converging cylindrical suriaces .foi l the rolls. By pushing4 the blocks inwardly, the

guide box channel I6. f as shown in Fig. 6, the surface 25 will be located upper block will be brought'into contact with the upper roll, and the lower block will be brought into Contact with the lower ro-il. Moreoveig the final positions of the blocks, when contact is made with the rolls, will depend upon the height of the rolls relative to the guide'box. Thus if the rolls are located at a higher position relative to the guide box, the upper block will be positioned further inwardly and the lower block will be positioned further outwardly, at the time the inner portions of the blocks touch the respective rolls. Consequently, the positions of the blocks relative to each other may be utilized as an indication of the height of the roll pass line relative to the guide box, and in order to employ this principle effectively means is provided to indicate with great accuracy that particular relative positioning of the blocks which corresponds to the correct position of the rolls. For this purpose the outer ends of the blocks i8 and i9 are provided with plane vertical indicating surfaces 25 and Ebrespectively which become flush with oiie another when the rolls are located at'the correct height and the blocks are pushed inwardly to engage the rolls.

The exact shape of the inner portions of the blocks may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit of the invention. Preferably however the inner portion of the lower block I8 is provided with a plane lower gauging surface 28 which slopes upwardly and inwardly at an acute angle with the horizontal, and the inner portion of the upper block I9 is provided with .a plane upper gauging surface 29 which slopes downwardly and inwardly at an acute angle with the horizontal, these two acute angles being equal. The inner portions of the two 'blocks are in sliding contact with one another along a horizontal plane 36 which b-isects the angle between the two inclined inwardly converging surfaces 26 and 29 when the two outer end surfaces 25 and 26 are aligned. The height of the plane 3K3 above the horizontal bottom surface of the lower block I8 is made exactly equal tothe desired height of the pass line'above the bottom y of the channel [Bof the guide box. The inclined surfaces 28 and 29v are made somewhat wider than the roll grooves l2, so that the gauge blocks will make Contact with the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls onop-posite sides of these grooves.

i It will now be apparent that in using the gauge the operator will slide the two blocks I8 and I9 inwardly through the guide box I until the inclined gauging surfaces 28 and 29 make contact with'the respective rolls'. If now the outer end indicating surfaces 25 and 26 of the blocks are flush, as shown in Fig. 3, the rolls will be at the correct height with relation to the guide box, for under these lconditions the plane 30 will be aligned with the pass line ofV the rolls, and this plane is by the construction of the gauge located at the correct height above the bottom of the If the rolls are too high,

outwardly with respect to the surface 25, which fact can readilybe ascertained by the operato-r either by visual inspection or preferably by passing his linger over these surfaces.y A very slight lack of alignment of the surfaces 25 and 26 will be noticeable to the operator. Furthermore, a very slight vertical displacement of the rolls will cause a considerably amplified change in the relative positions of the gauge blocks. Thus, if the plane surfaces 28 and 29 make an angle of Asay twenty degrees with the horizontal, and the'rolls^ are moved vertically .001", the change in the horizontal position of each wedge will be .001"-z-tan =.00274" and the relative position of the two wedges will change 2 .00274=.0O548". Since this is greater than a five-to-one ratio, and since an operator can by his sense of touch easily detect a misalignment between the surfaces and 26 of less than one thousandth of an inch, it will be appreciated that the gauge makes it possible to adjust the .rolls with great accuracy. In Fig. 2 two guide boxes are shown, near opposite ends of the rolls, and in such a mill the gauge will be applied to both boxes in succession to make sure that the The gauge is relatively sirnple and inexpensive to manufacture, and it greatly facilitates accurate adjustment of the rolls even by comparatively unskilled operators.

In certain of theclaims descriptive terms such as horizontal uppen lower and the like have been employed, but it is not intended that such terms should be construed' as limitations except as they define the relative positions of the vari-ous parts, it being apparent that the invention is applicablevto vertical or inclined rolls as well as to the horizontal rolls illustrated. y

Having rthus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. A gauge for use in obtaining correct alignment of two parallel rolling mill rolls `and an associated guide box comprising a pair of relatively slidable blocks adapted to be placed in the guide box and pushed inwardly toward the rolls to bring their inner end portions into the V-shaped opening formed by the converging surfaces of the rolls, and gauging surfaces formed on the inner end portions of the blocks arranged to make contact with the said surfaces of the respective rolls and thus limit the inward movement of the blocks, said blocks including means to indicate that particular relative positioning vof the-blocks which corresponds to the correct relative positioning of the rolls and theguide box. f

2. A gauge for use in obtaining correct alignment-of two parallel rolling mill rolls and an associated guide box comprising a pairof relatively slidable blocks adapted to be placed in the guide box and pushed inwardly toward.A the rolls to bring their inner end portions into the V-shaped opening formed by the converging surfaces'of the rolls, gauging surfaces formed on the said inner end portions of the blocks arranged'tomake contact with the said surfaces ofv the respective rolls and thus limit the inward movement of the blocks, and indicating surfaces formed onY the outer ends of the blocks and soirelated tothe gauging surfaces that when the vblocks are pushed inwardly as aforesaid, and the correct relationship of the rolls and 'guide box exists, the said indicating surfaces will be flush with one another.v

3. A gauge for use in obtaining correct alignment of two parallel rolling mill rolls and `an associated guide box comprising a pair of relatively slidable blocks adapted to be placed inftheA guide box and pushed inwardly toward the rolls to bring their inner end portions'into the V-shaped opening formed by the converging surfacesof the rolls, and rinwardly converging plane gauging surfaces formed on the respective innerrendporsubstantially horizontal superimposed rolling mill rolls and an associated guide box having a horizontal channel therethrough comprising a lower block adapted to be placed 4in the said channel and while resting on the bottom thereof to be pushed inwardlyr toward the rolls, a gauging surn face formed on the inner end portion of the said block arrangedto make contact with the upwardly and inwardly curving surface of the lower roll, an upper block slidably supported on `the lower block and adapted to be pushed inwardly toward i the rolls, a gauging surface formed on the inner end portion of the upper block arranged ,to make Contact with the downwardly and inwardly curving surface of the upper roll, and vertical indicating surfaces formed on the outer end portions of the respective blocks and so related to the gauging surfaces as to be flush with one another when the blocks are pushed inwardly as aforesaid and the roll pass line is at a desired height relative to the bottom of the guide box channel.

5. A gauge for use in obtaining the correct height relationship between a pair of parallel substantially horizontal superimposed rolling mill rolls of equal diameters and an associated guide box having a horizontallchannel therethrough comprising a lower block adapted to be placed in the said channel `and to be slidably supported on the bottom thereof, an upper block slidably supported on the lower block, the blocks having inner end portions shaped for sliding contact in a horizontal plane, inwardly converging upper and lower plane gauging surfaces formed on the inner end portions of the upper and lower blocks respectively and positioned at equal angles with the said horizontal plane, the said gauging surfaces being arranged to'make contact with the inwardly converging surfaces of the upper and lower rolls respectively when` `the blocks are pushed inwardly, and upright plane indicating ing a downwardly and inwardly sloping plane surfaces formed on the outer ends of the respective blocks and so related to the gauging surfaces as to be iiush with one another when the relative positions of the blocks are such that the said horizontal plane bisects theangle between the i l said converging upper and lower plane surfaces.

6. A gauge for use in obtaining thecorrect height relationship between a pair of parallel substantially horizontal superimposed rolls and an associated guide box comprising a pair of relatively slidable blocks adapted to be placed in the guide box and pushed inwardly towards the rolls to bring their inner ends into the V-shaped opening formed by the converging surfaces of the two rolls, a gauging surface formed on the inner portion of one block to engage the upper surface of the lower roll only to limit inward movement of the block, and a gauging surface formed on the inner portion of the other block to engage the lower surface of the upperroll only to limit` inward movement of theblock, said blocks including means to indicate that particular relative positioning of the blocks which corresponds to the correct height relationship between the rolls and the 'guide box.

7. A gauge for use inobtaining the correct height relationship between a pair of parallel substantially horizontal superimposed rolls and an associated guide box comprising a lower block adapted to be placed in the guide box and to be slidably supported therein, and an upper block slidably supported on the lower blockjthe inner portion of the lower block having an upwardly and inwardly sloping plane lower gauging surface for `engagement with the upper surface of the lower roll when the lower block is pushed in wardly, the inner portion of the upper block hav;

upper gauging surface for engagement `with the lower surface of the upper roll when the upper `block is pushed inwardly, and said blocks including means to indicate that particular relative positioning of the blocks which corresponds to the correct height relationship between the rolls and the guide box.

ERIC H. FORS. 

